Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Meatloaf: A Comforting Family Dinner Recipe

Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Meatloaf is a hearty, flavorful dish inspired by classic cabbage rolls, but made in a much easier way. Traditional cabbage rolls require softening cabbage leaves, filling them one by one, rolling them carefully, and simmering them in sauce. This recipe keeps the same comforting flavors but turns them into a simple meatloaf.

Instead of stuffing cabbage leaves, chopped cabbage is mixed directly with seasoned ground meat, rice, onions, herbs, and tomato sauce. The result is juicy, tender, and full of the familiar taste of cabbage rolls, but with much less work.

This dish is perfect for family dinners, meal prep, potlucks, or cold-weather comfort food. It slices beautifully like meatloaf, but tastes like a complete cabbage roll dinner in every bite.

Ingredients

For the Meatloaf

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef
• ½ pound ground pork, optional
• 2 cups finely chopped cabbage
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

For the Tomato Glaze

• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Prepare the Cabbage

Start by chopping the cabbage into small pieces. The cabbage should be finely chopped so it blends well into the meatloaf and cooks evenly.

If the cabbage pieces are too large, they may stay firm inside the loaf. For a softer texture, you can sauté the cabbage for 5 minutes before adding it to the meat mixture.

To sauté it, add a little oil or butter to a skillet, then cook the cabbage until it begins to soften. Let it cool slightly before mixing it with the meat.

Step 2: Cook the Rice

Use cooked rice for this recipe, not raw rice. Cooked white rice, brown rice, or even leftover rice can work.

The rice helps give the meatloaf the classic cabbage roll texture. It also absorbs flavor from the meat and tomato sauce while baking.

Let the rice cool before adding it to the meat mixture. Hot rice can affect the texture of the meat and egg mixture.

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